The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for detecting the fatigue or drowsiness level of an individual. In particular, the present invention is directed to a method and apparatus which detects the difference in infra-red (IR) light reflection from the eye fundus and eyelid to determine the level of fatique and trigger an alarm.
There is a recognized need for a safety device which is capable of warning and arousing an operator who has become drowsy while operating various machines or vehicles. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,144,531 issued to Aubergen discloses a safety apparatus that directs a wave along a path close to an individual's eyeball. The wave is interrupted by the eyelashes when the person blinks or closes his eye and a warning signal is generated in response to the interruption of the wave. One drawback to such conventional devices is that they are not capable of detecting the degree of fatique or drowsiness of an individual thereby causing many false alarms.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus that is capable of detecting an individual's level of fatigue. A further object of the invention is to generate alarm signals based on an individual's fatigue level.